Mariano's 3/11

See- we read your comments and take your suggestions!

This restaurant was not on our original list but due to the enthusiastic comments left on our blog we thought we should check it out ASAP. Again- a beautiful spring evening- we all gathered at the Lakewood location.  Courtney was especially excited since this was closest to her place. So- home of the frozen margarita.........the orignial frozen margaritas got props for actually tasting like tequila instead of margarita mix- it wasn't the best we have had but a solid drink. Lauren tried a swirl and found it way too sweet and could not finish it (whaaaaaaa?) The queso was great- most of us thought it resembled a home job with velveeta and rotel, which is not a bad thing at all- very comforting- a good temperature- easily scooped with chips. The micheladas were a little too hot for my taste- it was like liquid reflux.  I don't think we will be heading back here anytime soon but it was fun to check out! 

Queso- 3/4 

Margaritas (original frozen)- 2.5/4

Micheladas-  1/4- yikes! my esophagus!

Cafe San Miguel 2/25/09, The First Quesolada

The chicken or the egg question surfaced this week with "Is it queso if you can't dip your chip in it?" That was the question we pondered on our weekly tour. The only queso at Cafe San Miguel is their queso fundido. Yes, it's real white cheese melted with vegetables served with homemade tortillas. We took this challenge on with a smile on our faces. My vote was no but keep in mind I don't like many creamy products including most cheeses. While the queso fundido was good, it wasn't quite the same yellowy orange runniness that we've become accustomed to dipping chips into. We called it a draw in the end.

But... the good news- this week was the first "Quesolada." Instead of margaritas we all had the michelada. For those of you unfamiliar, a michelada is a beer over ice with mixed some combination of lime juice, salt, worschtester, and clamato. It was fantastic- just spicy enough, just enough clamato, just enough fizzy. Yum, yum.

Also yum,yum was their guacamole. Holy guacamole! It is also served in warm homemade corn tortillas and the first bite of velvetly green goodness sends you straight up to avocado heaven.

Fernando's Feb 11th

Hey everybody! Sorry for the delay- We were here on the most lovely sunny afternoon which I think of now when I can't feel my toes.  This place was 

promising- close to Lauren's house, outdoor seating, delicious chips and salsa and maybe the best damn michelada in Dallas. 

But the queso was a HUGE failure- 

K-so said it best "chicken". I am not sure what some of theses places are doing but we suspect it might involve cream of chicken soup. NO BUENO.  The guacamole and fried jalapeno poppers were good and again the micheladas were outstanding. I don't

remember the margaritas- I kind of think everyone went with the aforementioned micheladas.

Anyhoo - great service, great chips, nice outdoor seating, GREAT MICHELADAS.

skip the queso- yucky. 

The Blue Goose

For our 20th Quesorita outing we visited the Blue Goose.  Overall, it was quite a pleasant experience.  The atmosphere and decor were good.  There is a big patio to relax on in the summer months.  And Jamie, our enigmatic server, was attentive.

Upon arriving, LEBW, G-unit, K-so, and I immediately and recklessly devoured two bowls of queso.  The cheese seemed genuine and the accoutrement (pico and brisket) did not disappoint.  Of note, the queso comes in a thick chip, rather than porcelain, bowl.  This transforms what was always a sad Quesorita moment:  when the queso runs out...into a terrific one:  eating a soggy, cheesy, delicious last chip. 

There were a few queso problems however.  Most notably...every bowl of queso we had was cold!  After close scrutiny and much deduction fostered from Judy Blume novels, we soon realized that the dish is served with warm queso on the bottom and cold condiments on top (sour cream, pico, etc)...thus, when mixed, the aggregate temperature falls tremendously.  Cold queso just ain't that cool.  We'll stick the queso in at 2.75/4....slightly a shame, cause it did have some excellent potential.

On the margarita front...the margs were fairly well received.  They were slightly above average, garnering extra bonus points for tasting more like tequila than mix.  We'll stick em in at 2.75/4.

Some other notable edibles included:

A Queso Fundido was enjoyed by K-so, Angela, Eric, and Courtney.  This is a concoction of mushrooms, cheese, chicken, peppers, and onions served on a skillet with home-made flour tortillas.  And, while I personally did not try the dish, the broad smiles on their happy faces indicated that it was likely a 3.25/4.

Josh(ie) was served a sizzling hot set of mixed fajitas on a skillet.  They smelled delicious, and I can personally attest that the steak was divine.  Of note, the table was also educated on the subtle, but substantial, importance of occasionally stirring your served fajitas to prevent pepper burning.  My mind was blown.  Fajitas - 3.25/4.

As has become habit, I sampled the tortilla soup, which, I must say, was the best I've had on this Quesorita journey.  It was thick and spicy.  Good flavor and presentation.  I'll give it a rousing 3.45/4.

Overall, the Blue Goose is a good place to sit and drink and eat.  And it earned itself a fairly impressive cumulative score of 2.85/4.

And...to end...a loud shout out to all those Quesorita readers and commenters...keep it up...we dig it! :)

Mi Cocina- HP 1.28.09

I never quite understood the allure of the Mi Cocina Highland Park location.  The tipsy housewives in tennis skirts and mobs of young children running between tables always made me dizzy and fearful.  But at a recent Quesorita event, A&E explained about the 3rd floor secret bar up the hidden staircase and through the stained glass doors.  Secret password not necessary! Maybe my opinion of this "family friendly" chain would change?  

And oh how it changed.  This is where all the tipsy singles go!!  As Dallas was recovering from the Icestorm of 09, the Quesorita crew headed to Mi Cocina HP for some frozen treats of our own.  As I entered this new found paradise, I started to see why D Magazine rated it best Tex-Mex (disputed by the Quesorita movement) in town.  I hope it wasn't for the food (see queso ratings below), but Mi Cocina HP is winning for "best atmosphere."

As you walk in those beautiful doors, there is a long bench seat along a completely windowed wall facing you and tiny wicker tables just large enough for your Mambo Taxi.  When it's warmer, all the windows are opened and a nice breeze comes in and all you can see are the tops of the trees.  You would have no idea that you're in the middle of Dallas, much less in the middle of a large shopping complex.  It's comfortable, casual, and inviting as it's more or less family style seating.  Service is good, but know they only serve drinks and apps up here.  I can't wait to return when it's warm out.

As for the queso... it was odd.  K-So nailed it when she said it tasted like chicken.  It really does! It wasn't that runny ball park style fake cheese, but it wasn't much better.  I'm convinced it was thickened with corn starch.  Colors disguised as vegetables were present, but there was a lot of salsa mixing going on to kick it up a notch.  Don't worry we finished the whole disappointing bowl.

As for the ritas.... they were yummy.  I feel like D Magazine should have instead listed the Mambo Taxi as one of "The 10 Best Things To Do in Dallas."  Much more appropriate.  I envision the article listing going something like this.......  

"A trip to Dallas is not complete without a stop at one of the many Mi Cocina restaurants scattered across the city and suburbs.  If you are looking for a happy hour spot, then a stop by the Mi Cocina 3rd floor rooftop bar is a must.  Order a Mambo Taxi (frozen lime margarita expertly swirled with some extreme proofed sangria) if you're up for an adventurous night.  About halfway through your rita, you will notice that your frustrating feeling left over from work is gone, and you're floating amongst the trees you see outside the windows.  If you start to chirp like the beautiful birds you see, then you know you should not have ordered that second Mambo Taxi.  They're deadly.  Quietly excuse yourself and hail a real cab."

The Quesorita Movement recommends Mi Cocina HP definitely for it's atmosphere, with confidence for it's Mambo Taxis, and not so much for it's queso.  Just saying.....

Queso                1.5/4

Ritas                  3.5/4 (extra points if you can handle that second)

Atmosphere     10/4

Thanks so much to everyone who follows the blog.  We definitely appreciate your comments and suggestions and will be reviewing some of these places in the coming weeks.  Spread the word- Quesorita, The Movement.

Matt's Rancho Martinez January 14th

I have to say, I am a little sad- I found ANOTHER DALLAS QUESO BLOG- it is called Blog Con Queso. But when I saw they have not posted since 2007- i felt a little better....
This week we decided to up the ante and hit Matt's in Lakewood.
history first....
The Matt's legend began more than 50 years ago in Austin, when Matt Martinez Sr. opened the original Matt's El Rancho. After a move to Dallas, Matt Jr. opened this spinoff in Lakewood, now managed by his son, Matt Martinez III. Contrary to popular myth Mattito's is no longer related to Matt's- it is now owned by someone named Jeff Frankel (shout out). Hence- the difference in their off the menu Bob Armstrong dip and what you will read about below.
Now- back to the quesorita...
The first arrivals got the original Bob Armstrong and top shelf margaritas on the rocks- the second wave opted for a vegetarian version of the Bob Armstrong and I think we might have stumbled on to the MOST PERFECT QUESO EVER!!!! Now, for those not familiar with this little piece of heaven- the Bob Armstrong dip has a scoop of sour cream and guacamole on top and usually ground beef which most people would be psyched about- but some times God rewards you for not eating animals- the Bob Armstrong Dip is beyond but the Bob Armstrong Dip without beef is even better (carnivores at the table agree!)
HEAVEN. plain and simple. Best queso, Best margaritas thus far, maybe ever. Not the cheapest ($8.50 per huge bowl of queso) but worth every penny.
Here are the scores-
Margaritas- 4/4 (swirls, top shelf)
Queso- 5/4

Shout outs to the friends we haven't met yet who have left comments, we can't believe you found our blog and liked it! If you have suggestions of places for us to check out- we would love to hear them!

Oh yeah, who is Bob Armstrong- thank you Blog con Queso friends- we are keeping your dream alive....

Herrera's on Maple

 
I must confess that I felt a little pressure when I volunteered to write the blog for quesorita this week. No, not THAT kind of pressure. THAT pressure was because I ate too many beans. Not only is this the first quesorita blog of 2009, it is our first quesorita WITHOUT margaritas. I will do my best.
When you look up “Hole-in-the-Wall” in the dictionary, Herrera’s on Maple is what you will find. Their service was speedy, chips hot, salsa spicy, queso lumpy (in a good way) and liquor license non-existent.
I will start with the queso…Upon arrival to our table, I have to admit that I gave it one look and thought, “Great, it’s that Sysco powdered, flavorless, orange/yellow *%#@!.” Then we tasted it. It was surprisingly good. The closer we got to the bottom, as only Shelby and I know because we were the only two still eating it, the better it got. The onions and peppers were all there waiting to be scooped up by only a truly devoted queso lover. L.E. thought it was “fluffy” and “too airy” but other than the way it looked, it tasted pretty darn good.
Queso: 2.5-2.65/4
Again, this place does NOT serve any kind of alcohol…have no fear, Herrera’s is situated along a street catering to the thristy B.Y.O.B.ers. We got a six pack of Tecate and a six pack of Pacifico with which we washed down several plates of yummy food. Lauren (that crazy girl) got the Crazy Nachos-loaded with tac0 meat, shredded chicken, beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos. Rich had the Huevos Rancheros, Shelby didn’t eat because he was bloated and begging Lauren to “pull his finger”. I had the “Number 10” which consisted of one chalupa smothered with guacamole, one cheese enchilada (I substitooted the meat sauce for a greener one) and one cheese soft taco. It was delicious. After several inappropriate wrestling jokes, The DJ (Angela) arrived to have her Quesorita cherry popped. She refused the hazing rituals even though we promised to go easy on her but she did agree to help us finish the leftovers. Unfortunately, L.E. had to leave before she could sample the food. I think she would have liked her options considering there were several vegetarian plates on the menu.
After paying at the cash register up front (the entire bill for ALL 6 of us was 33 dollars!!!) we realized that we still needed to discuss/recruit more peeps for Surf Camp, so we sat back down, cracked another beer and talked about stuff for an hour or so…
We would all like to go back to Herrera’s at some point, it would be kind of silly not to. The prices are UNBEATABLE!!!
Shelby’s Inappropriate Joke of the Day:
"My girlfriend isn’t very good at wrestling, but you should see her box!"
Looking forward to many more Quesoritas in 2009 when we go global!!!
PURA VIDA, QUESARITA!!!
Kelly (K-so) out!